The invention relates to a process for partial oxidation of a hydrocarbon-containing fuel using a multi-orifice burner.
In particular, the invention relates to a process for partial oxidation of a hydrocarbon-containing fuel wherein an oxygen-containing gas and a hydrocarbon-containing fuel are supplied to a gasification zone through a multi-orifice burner comprising a concentric arrangement of two oxygen passages or channels and two fuel passages or channels, and wherein autothermically a gaseous stream containing synthesis gas (syngas) is produced under appropriate conditions.
The oxygen-containing gas is usually air or pure oxygen or a mixture thereof. In order to control the temperature in the gasification zone a moderator gas can be supplied to said zone.
More particularly, the invention relates to a process as described in the foregoing, wherein a gas, for example natural gas, refinery gas, methane and the like is suitable as a fuel.
In such processes it is necessary to ensure a good and rapid contacting or mixing of the fuel and the oxygen-containing gas in order to obtain an excellent gasification process.
Further, in such process the lifetime of the equipment can be lengthened by the reduction of the convective and radiative heat-flux via flame-lift without distorting the process performance.
It is an object of the invention to provide a process for partial oxidation of a hydrocarbon-containing fuel wherein a rapid and intimate mixing of the reactants outside the concentric arrangement is obtained. It is another object of the invention to provide a process for partial oxidation of a hydrocarbon-containing fuel wherein the mixing energy of oxygen and fuel is provided by the high velocity fuel flow.
It is another object of the invention to provide a process for partial oxidation of a hydrocarbon-containing fuel wherein pressure losses are minimized and wherein shorter reactor lengths are made possible, since the effective reactor residence time is maintained via the reduction of the effective burner velocity and the mixing distance downstream the burnerface.
It is still another object of the invention to provide a process for partial oxidation of a hydrocarbon-containing fuel wherein highly exothermic reactions are prevented in the region where the relatively hot syngas from the reactor mixes with the reactants from the third concentric channel.